The present invention relates to rope fasteners and in particular to a knotless coupler for securing at least a pair of cord ends to one another.
A perpetual problem plaguing all individuals whoever desire to secure a pair of rope ends to one another is that of how best to achieve a secure bond between the cords, yet one which is easily released at a later time. In preference to knotting the cords to themselves, varieties of intermediate couplers have been developed over the years to achieve these ends. Some of such couplers of which Applicant is aware are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,355,444; 3,736,925 and 656,431. Each of these patents discloses devices including wedging slots for controlling the length of the cord by way of forming a loop of variable length along the cord. U.S. Pat. No. 3,714,923 also discloses a marker device which may be wrap mounted to a length of line and slid there along to mark a predetermined point along the line.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,953,911; 3,675,276; 1,426,537; 1,390,152; 1,383,665; 703,018; 402,786 and 278,097. Each of these patents disclose various fastners including one or more apertures and/or wedging notches which variously mount in different orientations to one another for securing two cord ends to each other. Although including wedging slots, nowhere do any of such devices suggest a planar member including opposite end apertures and intermediate of which along opposite peripheral edges are formed alternating staggered wedging slots. Additionally nowhere do any of such references include a projecting loop member and/or a tubular body member having an open inner center bore.
Applicant has therefore developed yet another coupler construction which releasably secures two cord ends to one another, whether or not under tension. The tag end of the bound cords is additionally restrained to prevent against slippage of the bond over time. The coupler finds particular advantage for cinching tarps, boat covers, guy ropes and the like.